by Eric Vall
The guard moaned and shuddered from the relentless pain of having been whittled down to only his torso, his legs, and half of his face. Summoning up the puppet master god’s power, I looked into the man’s fearful eyes and explored his memories through the pictures that flashed across my mind. After a few moments of sifting, I saw a scene of Alistair addressing his men as he walked behind the palace, and that was when I knew where he was. It wouldn’t be long now before Alistair’s desperate tormented pleas joined the air.
“He’s in the garden,” I said to the others as I carelessly tossed the stump of a man to the ground with his screeching brethren.
“Where’s that?” Rana said as she glanced around the area. “This place is huge, it’s even bigger than I imagined.”
Now that we were inside, we could see the full makeup of the palace and the surrounding grounds. Great towers stretched into the sky all around us, and I could just barely see their glistening gold dome tops. Countless palm trees were scattered around us, and their healthy vibrant fronds swayed in the breeze. The massive ivory-colored palace spanned three floors at the center of the grounds. Its gold-domed roof glistened as the sun rose in the sky, as did the numerous windows that appeared to be trimmed in the same material.
“This place is beautiful,” Carmedy said in awe as she gazed around.
“We are not here to take in the views,” Morrigan said as she turned to me. “Where is this garden that you spoke of?”
“It’s behind the palace,” I said and pointed to the area in question. I had only just spoken when a series of shouts called out from beyond the towers to our left. A large group of soldiers armed with swords emerged from the closest one and sprinted toward us. Then more shouts joined them from behind the palace. Within seconds, another large group of sword-wielding guards paraded out to join the charge.
“Halt in the name of the king!” some of the men yelled as the two groups approached us.
“Let’s go,” I shouted to the others, and we ran toward the back of the palace, “and kill them all. These soldiers do the bidding of such a treacherous king, they’ll die with him.”
As we forged ahead, I raised my hand to the air as the swordsmen prepared their attack. Before they could finish their charge, I closed my grip on the air, and the mob of swordsmen started to defragment before my eyes. As their screams and ashes filled the air, I shoved past the tortured mortals. Their suffering whet my appetite, but I had a bigger prize to claim.
I looked over my shoulder to see Morrigan wipe out a wave of soldiers with her death projection just as I did. With a look of ferocity in her wholly black eyes, the elf curled her pale fingers in the air and the swordsmen began to disintegrate. As the white-haired woman watched her tortured victims, a small wicked smile curled onto her face.
The sight of my beautiful lover murdering so many brought me pleasure.
Carmedy yanked one bundle after another from the belt around her waist and launched them at the men that raced toward her. One man’s body was engulfed in fiery red flames. He cried out as he frantically rolled on the ground in an effort to put out the flames. Another was showered with the feline’s green acid, and the man let out a sound that resembled a tortured animal as the skin started to melt away from his bones.
The cat-girl was brave now, and I was very proud of her development.
And the destruction she brought.
Rana darted in and out of the attackers with such swiftness that none of them could catch her. The fox woman sent perfectly executed kicks into the men’s necks, the backs of their knees and other weak points, as she wove in slashes of her daggers into areas of exposed flesh, splattering her opponents’ blood across the sand. Her movements were reminiscent of a deadly dance as she dodged back and forth with speed and agility as she sliced through the guards.
She even threw her twin dagger, and their points found the eye sockets of two different men. As she retrieved them, she flashed me a marvelous smile, and my pride warmed my chest.
Before long, our combined whirlwind of death had laid waste to the entire complement of guards, and no additional troops came forth to support them. It seemed that no one else stood in our way now.
“This way.” I gestured for my minions to follow me as we raced toward the back of the palace. Upon rounding the corner, we were met with an enormous lush garden. Large palm trees, leafy green plants, and exotic flowers of blues, yellows, purples, and reds, sprouted from the ground. Towering marble pillars and massive trees wrapped with thick vines lined the right and left sides of the garden and provided ample shade. Ivory colored marble statues of robed goddesses were arranged around the garden as were pristine ornately carved white benches that appeared to be crafted from the same flawless marble.
In the middle of the garden was a square fountain that was so large its parameters resembled a lake, and atop the fountain was an intricately carved white statue of Alistair. The figure depicted the king with a fearless expression, and his arm reeled back with a spear in his hand. The edge of the pool stretched far in the opposite direction and seemed to curve downward like a waterfall to signify that there was another level of the garden below us.
And there on the fountain’s edge sat the king himself.
“So, you’ve reached me at last,” the dark-haired man said calmly, and moved his hand back and forth in the water as though he hadn’t a care in the world.
“At last?” Rana snickered. “Tore through your guards like they were made of gingerbread.”
“When I learned that the rebel army was at my door, I thought that it was just another one of the rebel’s senseless attacks.” Alistair rose to his feet with an unbothered expression. “Then I was informed that the rebels disappeared into clouds of ash, and I thought, perhaps they have recruited a sorcerer to join their merry ranks. But when I heard about giant creatures carved from sand attacking my mercenaries and then an explosion that took out a good part of the east wall? Well, I was mildly impressed.”
“I’m glad you liked my explosions!” Carmedy’s lips curled into a smile upon hearing that bit of information. “Now where is our friend?”
“Congratulate yourselves,” the king said as he looked us condescendingly. “You have managed to do what was deemed to be impossible. You have broken an unbreakable barrier.”
“Yeah, yeah, we’re legends we know. Now, where is Annalíse?” Rana said threateningly, but Alistair ignored her.
“I will give credit where credit is due, he told me no one short of a god could break his barrier,” the lavishly dressed man said as he stroked his mustache. As he spoke, his voice began to deepen into a menacing rumbling and almost indecipherable snarling tone. “It is a pity that you will die after such a triumph. Then again, those that choose to make such foolish decisions do not deserve to live.” The color of the man’s skin started to shift into a dark shade of green, and the texture became slick looking shiny resembling scales.
“What in the world?” Rana breathed as we all looked on at the unexpected sight with widened eyes. Suddenly, the king’s neck stretched upward at an alarming speed, and it curled around in the air as it grew to be the width of a tree. At the same time, each of his limbs retracted into the openings of his robe, and his garment fell away to reveal the rapidly growing body of a giant snake.
An evil smile crept across Alistair’s face as a large forked tongue flickered from his mouth. The women continued to gape as his head gradually shifted to match his body, and his yellow eyes flashed. His transformation was now complete. The fifty foot snake narrowed his piercing yellow eyes, and his tail thrashed against the ground causing the garden to tremble.
“You shall die here, you impudent oikssss,” the enormous serpent hissed.
Chapter 22
“Ugh!” Carmedy cringed as she beheld the massive serpent king. “That’s disgusting.”
“Actually, I think he looks better now than he did before,” Rana snickered, but I could see the fear in her eyes.
“
What manner of magic is this?” Morrigan narrowed her eyes at the gigantic snake beast.
“Sssso glad you asssked,” Alistair hissed as his body curled ever higher in the air. “You see, the sorcerer that created the magical barrier around my palace that you so rudely breached is a good friend of mine. So good in fact that he gifted me thisss.” The monstrous creature maneuvered to tilt his great green head downward so that we could see on top of it. There, embedded in the center was a pulsating green gem. “Your power may be great but it’s nothing compared to mine. Tuzakeur has truly made me the most powerful king that has ever graced the continents. I have been made a god.”
“Tuzakeur?” Rana said with widened eyes and then her expression quickly shifted to a look of rage. “That’s the sorcerer who took my family!”
“Ah, so you’re the little fox that he has working for him,” Alistair said with a deep chuckle. “He told me about your adorable little family. Too bad you won’t be able to save them. I’m sure he’ll be disappointed that to hear that you’re dead, but no matter. He’ll find another thief.”
I was slightly impressed by what I had just heard. To not only have the skill to create such an impressive barrier, but to have magical objects such as the king’s gem in his possession, the sorcerer was far more powerful than I had imagined. That hint of respect turned to anger that surged through my veins as my blood began to boil. While this Tuzakeur was indeed strong, he would be stopped, but first, I had to deal with Alistair.
“I want the rest of you to leave here and go find Annalíse,” I said to the others darkly. Morrigan and Carmedy turned to go but Rana stayed where she was.
“But this son of a bitch knows about the sorcerer and my family,” Rana said defiantly. “I’m not just going to--”
“Go, now,” I said firmly as I turned my head slightly to look at her. “Do as I tell you.” My lips formed a tight line, and I clenched my fists tightly.
The fox woman hesitated for a moment, gave me a nod, and turned to join the others. As soon as they were out of sight, I turned back to the serpent king who flickered his tongue in amusement.
“How very droll,” the scaly king said with a raspy laugh. “You actually think you’re going to sssave that girl. Sssuch foolishnessss. You should be more concerned with sssaving yourself.”
“You think yourself to be a god,” I snarled. “Let us see if you can fight like one.”
Then I thrust my hand into the air and called up a power that I had not yet had a chance to use in the desolation of the deserts.
The power of the old forest god.
The massive trees that lined the garden started trembled as their hearty wood groaned and crackled. Alistair turned his head in surprise as the trees all started to bend and stretch to meet each other in the air above the fountain. Once the trees touched at the center of the garden, their trunks twisted together as they sprouted upwards.
As the mass of trees grew, the enormous figure of a man started to take shape. The roots from the trees tore away from the ground and bound together to form two gigantic legs. The vines snaked along the growing plant monster and gathered together to form thick claws on the ends of each arm. The creature continued to grow until it was as tall as the first story of the palace. At last, its massive head was woven together by the remaining vines, leaves, and bark, and two golden eyes blinked open. The plant giant raised its claws in the air and released a thunderous roar that seemed to shake the palace so hard that I thought it would crumble.
Alistair’s yellow eyes were widened in shock, but he quickly regained his composure. Then he immediately flung his long serpentine body into the air at the demon I’d crafted, and he opened his mouth to reveal a pair of sharp fangs. Upon reaching my monster, Alistair bit into its arm with a loud wooden crack. Then the serpent king wrapped himself around the length of the plant demon’s arm and squeezed hard.
The wooden giant bellowed, grabbed at Alistair’s tail with its other clawed hand, and ripped the snake away. As the king’s fangs were torn away from the limb, chunks of trees broke away and sailed into the air before they came crashing down. Alistair hissed in protest, angled his head at the plant beast’s neck, and moved to strike with remarkable speed. The serpent widened his horrible mouth once again and gnashed his deadly fangs.
The tree monster roared angrily as the great serpent clamped down on its neck before the leafy beast grabbed hold of the hissing king with its viney claws and yanked him away. The plant giant let out another bellow as it snatched Alistair by the neck with its free hand before hoisting the immense snake over its head. The scaly king made a gagging, hissing sound as the wooden creature then began to pull with all its might in an attempt to rend the snake asunder.
The snake king attempted to wriggle from his assailant’s grasp but it was no use.
Alistair’s yellow eyes bulged in his green head, the tip of his tail thrashed helplessly, and his forked tongue wriggled desperately.
I smile darkly as I watched my creation torture the king, and my skin tingled as I watched him writhe and struggle.
Then I couldn’t help but laugh.
With a final yank, the plant demon tore the enormous snake in two and sent torrents of blood raining down on the garden. The two halves went slack in the creature’s huge hands before it tossed them down in front of me. The pieces thudded as Alistair’s lifeless yellow eyes, still stuck open, stared up at me. Blood continued to gush from his wounds and pooled around my feet, and I inhaled the fragrant smell of death with satisfaction.
The serpent king thought he was a god, but now he was dead.
Just as any would be who stood in my way.
Chapter 23
With a quick gesture, I dismissed my plant monster, and the trees and vines of its body began to fall away and plummeted down into the garden. They crashed into the various statues and columns and shattered them like delicate sugar cubes. One of the trees managed to fall directly on the figure of Alistair in the fountain, and a smile came to my lips as it was smashed into pieces.
As I turned to leave the garden, I saw my minions rushing toward me, Annalíse thankfully in tow.
“I’m glad to see that you’re alright,” I said as the others joined me.
“Thank you,” the freckled swordswoman nodded, and her face flushed for a moment. “I never doubted for a second that you’d rescue me, that you’d all save me, rather.”
“Of course he’d save you!” Carmedy gushed. “He’s our master.”
“I was not alone in this,” I said as I gestured to Morrigan, Rana, and Carmedy. “Your friends all came to your aid.”
“Oh, we definitely deserve praise.” Rana smiled as she folded her arms over her chest. “We went through some serious stuff to save your royal behind.”
“And that’s Rana’s way of saying she missed you, and she’s glad you’re safe,” Carmedy giggled, “and so are the rest of us.”
“Thanks, ladies,” Annalíse said as she bowed her head to her friends.
“You are very welcome, princess,” Morrigan said.
“Princess? Ugh.” The female warrior groaned. “I never thought I’d be one of those princesses locked up in a tower.”
“In a way, you contributed to your own rescue, Annalíse,” I said to the princess. “Your plan to take the palace worked perfectly. Your skills in battle strategy have improved greatly.”
“Have we not made strides in our training as well?” Morrigan raised an eyebrow as she gestured to herself, Rana, and Carmedy.
“Indeed, you all have,” I said. “I’m proud of you all, my minions.”
“So, now that we’ve established how amazing we all are, you wanna tell us what happened here?” Rana said as she pointed to the torn in half serpent king.
“I’ll explain later,” I said. “First, we need to take care of the rest of the soldiers here.”
“Already taken care of.” Rana waved her paw absently.
“Is that so?” I raised an eyebrow in surprise.
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br /> “Yep, I gave them all a taste of my elvish daggers,” the fox woman said as she patted the pocket where she kept her blades. “They didn’t know what hit ‘em.”
Morrigan then cleared her throat and gave Rana an unamused look. The fox woman released an exaggerated sigh. “Alright, alright, Morrigan and Carmedy helped too. Elfy here went into full mage mode and wiped out hundreds of those guards with that crazy fog of hers.”
“Very well done,” I said to my minions. “Since that’s taken care of, I need to contact Makar and inform him of what’s happened.”
“Oh, that’s right, the people of Valasara can have their water back now,” Carmedy said triumphantly. “We saved the continent!”
I reached into my void pocket and pulled out the clear glass sphere that Makar had given me. I held the colorless glass ball up to my face, and as I gazed into it, I spoke Makar’s name. Just as before, the orb filled with multicolored ribbons that slowly twisted and swirled around each other until they gradually pieced together the rebel leader’s familiar features.
“Greetings, my friend,” Makar said brightly. “What can I do for you?”
“I have good news for you,” I said to the man. “Alistair has been vanquished, all the soldiers that guard the palace have been slain as well.”
Makar’s eyes widened, and he murmured something in his native tongue.
“I-I cannot believe my ears,” the bearded man stammered. “How can this be? The palace us impenetrable.”
I quickly told him all that had transpired, and the man continued to look at me in disbelief and he gaped when I relayed the account of Alistair’s transformation and the sorcerer Tuzakeur.
“Praise be to the gods,” Makar said as he lifted his head to the sky. Considering my divinity, he was not entirely wrong in his praise. “You have saved our country. Our people has suffered for so many years, and now thanks to you, it is finally over. How can I ever repay you?”